April 9, 2010
Fires and Smoke in Central part of U.S.
NOAA's Hazard Mapping System (HMS, top right) reports that the central portion of the country is covered in smoke from a large amount of fires. A large area of smoke is observed from Iowa, down through Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois. This area of smoke was also observed by MODIS Aqua true color image (bottom left). HMS also reports smaller, separate plumes of smoke from fires in Kansas and Oklahoma. The fires and smoke are having an effect on the PM2.5 levels in the region (top left, courtesy AIRNow). Code Orange (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) and Code Yellow (Moderate) PM2.5 levels were observed in the region throughout the day. Code Orange PM2.5 levels were reported in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. It is interesting to note that in the afternoon, Code Yellow PM2.5 levels were observed in the same location as the large smoke HMS observed.
Elsewhere in the country, air quality was good. Code Yellow conditions were observed many of the west coast states. Code Orange PM2.5 was observed in Nevada early in the morning. The MODIS Terra AOD map observed moderate to high AOD values observed over Nevada and southern California. Several fires were observed in Florida. Smoke plumes were observed off of the coast in the northwestern part of the state.
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